Because of Strawberries
by SofiaCalista
Summary: Following had been a good idea. Leading, on the other hand, was debatable. - AU. Madge's POV. Gadge centric. Everlark. Fluff. (repost because I accidentally deleted it.)
1. Following

**Repost! I didn't know what's going on in my head because I deleted this story. I was just going to update both chapter. I mistakenly tap 'Delete Story', I just didn't understand why I tap the button 'Yes'. :( **

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

* * *

I knew following him was not a smart idea.

But I did it, anyway.

Katniss told me that he's going in the woods today, I decided to join him. Without his permission, of course.

Somehow, I doubt he would've taken me along if I asked. Not that I'll have the courage to ask. Gale Hawthorne's default mood was surly. Ask anyone.

Maybe I'll have better chances of Katniss taking me, but her sister was not feeling well. So, here I was, discreetly following her best friend. Not an easy task but I managed it.

I was right behind him as he slipped into the woods.

Going right, three trees, then a left turn and then more trees.

I was never going to remember the direction so I stopped memorizing the way. And just followed him, hiding behind trees whenever I'd came close to his peripheral view. It was surprisingly easy.

I was on the other side of the fence.

For the first time in my life.

And he didn't even notice! Ha!

He led me, unknowingly, to a lake. Was he going fishing? Were there fishes in there? How was he going to fish? With a net? A fishing rod? But he didn't have any fishing tools with him. Was he going to fish by hand?

By the way he looked, he totally could. But he didn't go directly to the water. There was a small shack near the lake that I didn't notice right away.

He went in.

And I waited.

It wasn't a long wait. He emerged from the shed with a spear, sort of. It was shorter. He also had a small net.

What he didn't have, however, was clothes.

He wasn't naked. He's wearing underwear. But as it's the first time I saw a guy _tha_t naked, my face was burning. I quickly turned, my back flat against the trunk of the tree.

Concealed behind it, I was blushing and thinking of the stories by those girls in school. Sure, I thought he was attractive, objectively. But I also heard that he's got a really nice body. And he kind of, did.

Yeah, I was still watching. I chastised myself and went back into being flat against the tree.

This was not how I imagined my first foray to the forest would be. I thought it'll involve more of a stealthy activity not a voyeuristic one!

Well, technically, it was a just peek. So, it wasn't really voyeuristic, right?

I hadn't heard splashes, though. Maybe I was so caught up with my inner musings that I didn't hear him go into the water? Perhaps I should take another peek. He might have left or something. And I'd given up remembering the way back to the fence, so I needed to check. He's my only way back.

Slowly, I leaned to take a look.

And saw something that made me choked in an attempt to swallow a gasp.

I was staring at a chest. A nice one, up close and pretty much personal.

"What are you doing here?" said the chest. My eyes traveled quickly downwards. Nice stomach. And hallelujah! He's wearing his pants, again.

I finally looked up and saw him glaring down at me. Waiting for my answer. And I knew it should be a good one.

So I said, "Hi."

"What are you doing here?" he asked again.

"I was just taking a walk."

"Outside the fence, deep in the woods?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't say where," I said, petulantly. He just stared at me, leaning at my tree. And I looked at everywhere and anywhere except at him. His stare was uncomfortable.

"Okay, I'm following you," I confessed.

"I figured that out," he said, and now it's my turn to raise an eyebrow, "You've been following me since the school, I even purposely walked slowly so you could catch up."

And I thought I was sneaky.

"Then why didn't you stop me?"

He smiled and lean towards me, "I don't know, why did you think, I didn't?" There's something in his voice. And it grated on me. It's full of mischief and knowingness.

"Katniss told you," I said, remembering the earlier conversation with her.

"She didn't tell me that you'll follow me," he told me, "She just said you're pretty interested with our hunting schedule."

"I wanted to see where you harvest the strawberries," I finally admitted. It's pretty stupid to deny why I'm following him. The only other reason I could think of was a blush inducer. Either way I came out as a shallow townie and if I was to be accused as shallow I rather it because of something that is true.

He snorted, "Strawberries?" he shook his head, he opened his mouth to say something when his eyes caught something over my shoulders. I was about to turn to look when he pushed me against the tree, a hand on my mouth.

"Bear," he whispered, "I'm going to remove my hand but don't scream."

I nodded. He slowly lowered his hand , his eyes on the bear, wherever it is. I tried not to shake, to panic and I'm fairly succeeding at it. I just need focus on something less threatening. Like his arms. Big arms. No, it's pretty intimidating. The chest I passed over, I already know it's nice but still. I gulped.

Teenage hormones, why are you now making yourself known?

I shifted, too aware of his body. The proximity was making my hormones in overdrive.

"Don't move," he said, still looking at the bear. Easy for him to say. Talk about seeing someone in a new light. From grumpy guy to a blush inducing one.

"It's gone," I heard him say, "You can open your eyes, now."

Oh, I didn't realized that I had closed my eyes. When I opened them, I saw him, grinning. He did that a lot in the woods. I rarely see him do that inside the fence.

"You looked like a tomato," he chuckled, "Are you blushing?"

"No," I lied, "It's just hot in here."

He smirked and leaned closer to me and said, "Yes, it is."

"Oh, shut up," I said, pushing him away. He laughed.

"Is my nakedness bothering you?"

"You're not totally naked!"

"Then why are you blushing?"

We just run full circle. "It's the proximity," I said, sighing at how easy I admitted to things with this guy. Maybe it's the air in the forest. Less coal dust.

"Something tells me you've never been to the slag heap," he said, stepping back, his arms across his chest.

"That something is obviously the blood rushing in here," I pointed at my cheek.

"True," he told me, "And it's cute, actually."

I didn't say anything about that. Because my blush had said enough for me.

"You're doing it again," he was laughing again. Jerk.

"Shut up!" I said, but he ignored me.

Impulsively, I reached for the laughing boy.

Whatever happened next, I blamed the fresh air.

I grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled him down.

Shutting him up with my mouth.

At first it was just pressing of the lips. Then he seemed to come out of his initial shock and instead of pulling away, he had tugged me closer. He deepened the kiss and I moaned. I snaked my arms around his neck as he lifted me up, pressing me against my tree.

We pulled away when breathing becomes a problem. We were still holding each other, panting.

"That's some kiss, Miss Undersee," he said, breathless. And I agreed with him. I couldn't have asked for a more memorable first kiss. Until today, I didn't even dream of kissing this guy. The fresh air was getting into my head.

"Can you take me to the strawberries now?" I said, equally breathless. He laughed again, "It'll take more than one kiss to make me take you to the strawberries."

"Oh, then I'd like another one," I found myself admitting once again.

He didn't need to be told twice. He didn't even treat it as a joke. He just leaned and kissed me again.

I only kissed him because I wanted to see the strawberries badly, but the kissing was good, too. Yeah, that's what I'm trying to tell myself.

It's all for the strawberries.

* * *

"How did it go?" Katniss asked, casually. We were having lunch at school. I looked at her assessing if she knew something, she still seemed her normal self so I said, "He caught me."

"Yeah, he told me about it," she said, opening her brown bag.

"He did?"

"Yes, he said there was a bear, too."

"There was, but I didn't see it," I said, slightly relieved that she didn't have a clue about the kisses. Then someone sat beside me, I turned and saw what was becoming a familiar grin. "Hi, Madge," Then turned to Katniss, "Hey Catnip," he greeted his best friend who just glared at him and resumed eating her lunch.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed.

"Sitting," he said.

"You never sit with us."

"Now, I'm sitting with you," he said, patiently. I was about to argue back when Katniss suddenly asked me, "I forgot, did you get to see the strawberries?" and without waiting for an answer, she rounded at Gale and said, "Didn't you harvest them yesterday? You're supposed to bring it last night."

Gale and I looked at each other, unsure what to answer. We didn't even left the lake for a long time and when we remembered what we came in the woods for, it's already getting dark.

"Is that a hickey?" I heard Katniss say, we looked at her and saw that she's looking at me. Specifically, the neckline of my blouse. I reached to cover it while Gale clamped her mouth shut with his hand. We looked around, no one seemed to hear her. Maybe except for Peeta Mellark, who was sitting not far from us, smirking at me.

Gale looked apologetic, probably thinking I'll be mad. But I'm more amused at the moment. How on earth did Katniss Everdeen know what a hickey was and what it looked like?

"It looked like a strawberry, too," Katniss said after Gale released her.

It's sort of fitting. I went to the forest for strawberries. I went home with one, sort of.

Gale laughed. I did, too. Katniss just rolled her eyes.

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Thoughts? Please Review. If you already read this and reviewed this, um, please review again?


	2. Leading

"Can you ask? For me?"

Well, wasn't this a nice turn of events? Peeta Mellark was asking for my help. It was Saturday and I was about to go to, umm, the meadows, when I opened the door and saw him. He didn't greet me, he didn't even let me speak and voice out my surprise, and he started talking, pleading his case. To the wrong court, if I may add.

While I stood there, doorknob in hand, and intrigued.

"Why don't you just ask her yourself?"

"I already told you!" he said, exasperated, "There's like an invisible sign printed on her that tells people to go uck themselves."

"And you're scared." I finished for him. Most boys in school find Katniss pretty intimidating. Or was that pretty and intimidating? I guess Peeta find her both. He's been my classmate for a long time, it's hard not to notice.

"I'm not scared," he insisted, "It's just that there are situations that should be handled carefully and wisely. I might not get a second chance."

I raised an eyebrow at him and closed the door behind me. I walked passed him and motioned him to follow.

"Okay, let say I believe you," I heard him groan, "Why do you think I should help you?"

"I don't know, maybe because you're a good person and you're friends with her?"

"Sarcasm won't get you anywhere."

"Swapping spit with Hawthorne has a really negative effect on you."

"That's a gross way of implying something that is very personal!"

"Fine, your boyfriend's moodiness is rubbing off on you!"

"He's not my boyfriend!" He really wasn't. We didn't really discuss what we are. And we only did a lot of kissing. It just happened and we're enjoying it while it last.

"Come on, he was sitting with you during lunch," he scoffed.

"He's sitting with Katniss, too," I'm the queen of the Nile and proud of it.

"But he's not making googly eyes with her and she's not giggling at every lame thing he's saying," Peeta smirked and added, "That was you."

"I don't giggle, Mellark."

"Right, and I don't bake."

We fell into a relatively comfortable silence. It's an acknowledgement of admittance, sort of. He's a scaredy-cat and I'm with Gale, whatever that means.

We we're halfway through the Seam and he was still walking with me and Peeta' head was down the whole time we're walking. I'm surprised he didn't bump into anything.

I stopped, when we reached that particular place near the meadow, turned to him and said, "You can thank me later."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, bewildered.

"You asked for my help, didn't you?"

"Yeah," he said, "I'm still waiting for the helping part."

I grinned , putting my arm around his shoulder to steer him and presented my help.

"Welcome to the Everdeens'," I said, cheerfully. Peeta's jaw dropped as we stood there in front of Katniss' house.

"My source told me she's home today," I said, winking, "This is a good time to ask her out."

"What!? It's not what I asked!" he said, panicking but still looking at the house. A good sign, too. At least he wasn't running away.

I grabbed his shoulders and made him face me, "You can do it." And for good luck I gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Then Gale gave him a black eye.

He suddenly came out of nowhere, grabbed Peeta and punched him, shouting, "Hands off, Mellark!"

Technically, Peeta wasn't holding me, it's me that's grabbing him. But my girly brain rendered my body still, blushing and warm, I didn't get to correct him. He was about to give another one but Peeta tackled him. Fortunately, Katniss materialized. Maybe she heard the commotion and went out to see? I don't know, I was too busy being shocked.

She pushed Gale off Peeta, "What's wrong with you!?"

"He kissed my girl!" Gale said, and I suppressed an 'aww' from coming out.

"She kissed me!" said Peeta, Katniss helped him stand. Gale was looking at me, waiting for a confirmation.

"I did," I said, the look on Gale's and Katniss' (another interesting turn of events) faces made me cringed, I looked at Peeta and saw him winced when he rubbed the cheek Gale punched, where I also kissed him, "I kissed him on the cheek for luck!"

"Luck?" Katniss asked, bemused.

Peeta groaned, "Bad luck."

* * *

He was walking me home.

And I was explaining my head off.

"You kissed him for good luck?" he said, incredulous.

"Yeah, then you punched him," I nodded, "Katniss came and it's good again!"

"In Mellark's perspective."

Gale's right, everything went well for Peeta, if one didn't count getting punch in the face. But one can also argue, the punching was part of getting him off the street and into Katniss' home. She slammed the door behind them, not even inviting me and Gale in.

And here I thought we were her friends.

"So," I said, clearing my throat then continued, casually, "Back there, you told Peeta that I'm your girl."

Yes, I went there. I mean who wouldn't ask? And also, that red tint of his cheeks made him look adorable.

"Weren't you? I mean, we're sort of seeing each other," he managed to say, after a lot of throat clearing.

"I thought we're just sort of having a fling, we mostly just kiss," And stuff.

"I like kissing you," he said, in a tone that say 'I should know', "You're funny."

"Thanks," I said, unsure. Funny? What? He likes kissing clowns?

"And you're really pretty."

"Thanks," I blushed, that's an improvement. He likes kissing pretty clowns.

"And you, I don't know, calm me? You're refreshing."

"Like cold water in a humid day?"

"Yeah, exactly," he chuckled, then looked me straight in the eyes, " I really like you, Madge."

"Oh," I said, relieved, "Good, because I really like you, too. Who would've thought, huh?"

"Who would?" he agreed. We looked at each other and burst out laughing.

* * *

We sat on our usual lunch table, getting used to the stares of our classmates.

"You're blushing," Gale whispered.

"She's almost in your lap," said Katniss, smirking, "Why wouldn't she blush?" She sat across us and must have a super human hearing.

Gale just grinned and continued whispering, "Even your ears are red."

"Stop it," I said, pushing him slightly, just slightly, "You know what happens when you tease me about my flushed state?"

"I know," he said, wriggling his eyebrows.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"He totally would," Katniss commented. I glared at her and she laughed. Then I saw Peeta, entering the cafeteria. He was walking towards us. I stood and met him halfway.

"Hey," I greeted, " Listen I'm sorry about last Saturday –"

He interrupted me and he was smiling, black eye and all and said, "No worries."

"So it all went well?"

"Yeah," he was still grinning, which was infectious because I found myself smiling, too.

"Good!" I turned and walked back to our table.

"Something tells me that he got what he wanted in more ways than what you told me," Gale said as I resume my position beside him.

I didn't realise Peeta followed me, because the next thing I knew, he was standing beside Katniss. Placing a pastry in front of her. And then a sight of wonder, Katniss Everdeen was blushing.

"So, you managed to ask her out on a date?" asked a very clueless Gale. Katniss became redder and Peeta got a look of horror in his face. And it's all my fault.

"Aren't they dating now?" Gale turned to me, confused.

"What?!" both Peeta and Katniss said at the same time.

"Of course, not!" she said and Peeta looked at her sadly, she backpedalled and said, "It's not that I wouldn't."

"So you would?" Peeta carefully said. That boy was good.

"Yeah, I mean, I don't know!" and Katniss rushed out, Peeta rushed after her. As soon as their out of sight, Gale rounded on me, "You told me he wanted your help to ask her," he accused. I reached for the forgotten pastry and presented it to him.

"He asked me to ask her for cheese," I confessed, gesturing at the goat cheese filled pastry.

He shook his head and laughed, "You made me believe he was asking her out!"

"Same difference," I said, shrugging, placing the pastry back.

"Asking for cheese and asking for a date is the same thing?" he inquired, sceptical.

I sighed and looked at him, shaking my head, "Asking for cheese, bargaining with strawberries, what's the difference really? It's all the same."

"You're a crazy matchmaker. Or just plain crazy," he muttered. I elbowed him and did a backpedalling of his own, "But in a good way!"

* * *

For now, this is complete. I could keep writing but I don't have ideas for this anymore.

But I'm open to suggestions. :)

Thoughts? Please Review!


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